A bold moment at the Emmys turned Hannah Einbinder from award-winner to headline-maker when she concluded her acceptance speech with, 'Go Birds, fuck ICE, and free Palestine.'
Einbinder, 30, won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards on 14 September 2025, for her portrayal of Ava Daniels in HBO's Hacks.
Her speech, part celebration and part protest, struck a chord, both applauded and condemned, across social media and news outlets.
Who is Hannah Einbinder?
Hannah Einbinder, born 21 May 1995, is an American comedian, actress, writer and activist. She is best known for her role as Ava Daniels in the HBO Max dramedy Hacks, in which she plays a young comedy writer navigating fame, failure and creative growth.
She grew up in Los Angeles, California, in a family rooted in comedy and show business — her mother, Laraine Newman, was an original cast member of Saturday Night Live, and her father, Chad Einbinder, is a comedy writer and director. Raised Jewish, she has spoken of how both Jewish culture and humour were formative in her childhood.
Her education includes Beverly Hills High School, followed by Chapman University, from which she graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in television writing and production. She began doing stand-up comedy during college, participating in open mic nights, and earned early recognition in 2019 as part of Just for Laughs New Faces and by outlets like NPR and Vulture as a rising comic to watch.
Emphatic Speech and Onstage Activism
Einbinder's Emmy win followed four previous nominations in the same category for Hacks, making this her first win after four seasons of consistent recognition. Onstage, she wore a red Artists4Ceasefire pin, a symbol of solidarity with those advocating for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Her win-speech began with thanks to the Hacks ensemble, including Jean Smart and the show's creators, and a shout-out to the Philadelphia Eagles ('Go Birds'). It concluded with her definitive political statements: 'fuck ICE, and free Palestine'.
The phrase about ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement) was bleeped in the official CBS and Paramount+ broadcast, but heard clearly by the live audience and in uncensored recordings online.
Responses, Context and Backstage Comments
Reactions to Einbinder's remarks were divided. Supporters praised her bravery, noting she used one of the most visible platforms in entertainment to address immigration enforcement and the conflict in Gaza.
Others criticised her for what they saw as mixing entertainment with politics, or criticised particular statements as extreme.
Backstage, Einbinder elaborated on her motivations. She said the issues she addressed were deeply personal, citing 'friends in Gaza who are working as frontline workers, as doctors... to provide care for pregnant women, and [working] for schoolchildren to create schools in the refugee camps.'
She also stressed that as a Jewish person, she felt it was her obligation to distinguish Jewish identity and religion from the policies of the Israeli state, which she characterised as an ethnonationalist project.
It is also relevant that recently, Einbinder joined a large number of film industry professionals by signing the Film Workers for Palestine pledge, which vows not to work with Israeli film institutions deemed complicit in human rights abuses in Gaza.
Broadcast Constraints, Timing and Broader Significance
The Emmy organisers had set a speech limit of 45 seconds. Exceeding this limit reduces a pledged donation: host Nate Bargatze had promised £73,500 ($100,000) to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, with £735 ($1,000) being subtracted for each second over time. Einbinder's speech exceeded that limit, cutting into the total donation, though she offered to cover the difference.
Because of the expletive, the phrase 'fuck ICE' was censored on live broadcast but spread quickly in uncensored clips online, contributing to the virality of the moment.
This is not the first time Einbinder has publicly taken a stand. She has been outspoken on LGBTQ+ issues, environmental concerns and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Einbinder's speech at the Emmys is a moment that illustrates the intersection of art, celebrity, politics and human rights, demonstrating how public figures can utilize their platforms to provoke debate.
